The Trumpling of Democracy

Notwithstanding what his sycophants are saying, Donald Trump did not win the votes of the American people. He lost by a wider margin than many recent presidential losers had suffered. But because American presidential elections are not necessarily decided by the popular vote of the people, but rather by a gerrymandered assignment of votes by the Electoral College, Trump will be selected by the Electoral College tomorrow. In Trump’s own words, uttered so often during his embarrassing campaign, the elections are rigged, Trump was right. How else could the loser get the prize? But notwithstanding the origins of the Electoral College, back with the original thirteen constituent states, the college is no longer democratic nor fair, and will award the presidency of the United States of America to a person who did not win the popular vote of the people. And the so-called free world will be led by a person who was rejected by the majority of the voters. For a people who harbour the pretence of being the greatest democracy in the world this is something America does not even try to grasp. Simply expressed, the person who won the majority of the votes cast—by a considerable amount—is being denied the presidency because of how the electoral votes are assigned. The “winner” is not really the winner of the majority of the votes cast.

Anyway, since this anomaly has worked for him, Trump, who had said he would challenge the results, is quite comfortable with being donated the presidency which he did not “win”. It did not appear likely that he would win, indeed, by his own words throughout the campaign, he cast doubt upon his chances, saying he would challenge the results. Simply put, but quietly acknowledged, almost two million more people voted for Clinton than voted for Trump. That is not a “victory” to be celebrated.

And of course a huge cloud, or maybe more than one, sits over his accession to the presidency. The first is the question over his income taxes, he being in the first presidential candidate in decades whose federal income taxes are under serious question. Indeed, as I write this column, Donald Trump’s tax liabilities are still a secret, and apparently likely to remain so. Donald Trump also accedes to the presidency with the clear blessing—and apparent assistance—of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, whose hacking of the Democratic National Committee data is now common knowledge. This is not a partisan matter between the Democrats and Republicans, folks. This should be acknowledged for what it is: a critical breach by a hostile alien power of America’s security. And that this is all being fanned by the right wing of American politics is more worrying, but it seems that following eight years of a black President moving the country along the long road of social justice, America is facing major social stagnation.

Will Donald Trump heed the knowledge and advice of veterans within the State Department and security agencies? Or will his own family interests trump their expertise? It seems that his children are being brought right into the immediate discussions on the way forward, and this type of budding nepotism should be viewed with deep concern.

Right wing America, forced into silence for some years now, is blossoming forth into threats of social cutbacks and advantages for the wealthy. And with their President apparently happily being influenced by the KGB, we watch with interest where Ame r i c a goes from here.